I'm Nellie, and I'm an account manager at an advertising agency
Describe your job
My job involves the client servicing aspect within an agency – I am the liaison between the client & internal teams, working to represent the clients interest in the room when briefing creatives and reviewing work. But, then also making sure I am also the voice of the creatives to the client, often encouraging them to be brave & buy the best creative work possible.
What are the most important skills you need to do your job?
You need to be a good communicator, often needing to read between the lines & understand the underlying motivations/concerns of the client.
Equally, ensuring clarity when briefing creative teams & relaying client feedback. I also think you need quite a bit of patience and understanding, being the bridge between agency and client can often be a thankless job! However, when done well, you are the linchpin keeping everything together.
I left school and...
After school I went to university to study History at King’s College London, I found myself swaying towards Art History and I loved going to exhibitions/art fairs as a student. I was considering working in the Arts, with my thoughts potentially on pursuing a career as a curator.
However, a family member suggested Advertising and I was intrigued by the idea of working with creative individuals but also with clients with clear business/commercial objectives. I applied to many different graduate schemes and received a place on one. I started in the September after I graduated.
I’m most proud of...
I’m proud of many projects I’ve worked on, in different ways. One that comes to mind is the work I did for the Guardian, launching their ‘A Space For’ campaign.
The creative team who worked on it were absolutely brilliant & the work really felt like it was holding a mirror up to contemporary times / reflecting and shaping culture.
Creatives: Paddy Paddison and Joe Moloney
Before I started my career, I wish I knew…
You don’t need to be perfect or know everything to put your hand up and give something a go.
I think I often waited until I felt completely prepared or ready before putting myself forward. Whereas, I’m learning to be braver and back myself – ultimately, you don’t need to be perfect to make an impact & be part of making great work happen. You’re not always going to get things right, but being fearful of this only holds you back.
A mistake I made which you can avoid repeating is...
Early on as an Account Executive I accidentally looped in a senior client to an internal email chain - luckily there was nothing confidential or incriminating but, I remember my heart sinking! Moving forward, I’ve tried to be super conscious to check over every detail, which has now just become habit.
So, what’s next?
I started a new job only a few months ago and I’m absolutely loving it. I’m looking forward to building something amazing here with the team I work with - challenging myself with new projects and growing in competence and confidence as an account handler.
Here's my: